Cotton-picking machine.



T. MATLOCK.

COTTON PICKING MACHINE.

APPLICAHON FILED APR.20. 1914..

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ATTORNEY 1 see Page ca ton.

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nonsense, on ST. JOHN, KAnsAs.

COTTON-PICK'ING MACHINE.

Learner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented only 267, am...

Application me -A ril 20, 1914. Serial a... scenic. f,

To-pill whom itmay concern." f Be it know that I, THoMAs MAT-LOCK, citizen of thedlnited States of America, residing at Marshall, Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cotton pickers and typifies, in particular a highly improved form of cotton picking mechanism.

The. invention typifies a highly improved form of cotton picking mechanism whichconception and use is separate and distinct from the horse drawn wheeled carriage frame with which it is correlated. For illus' tration the invention is here presented in connection with a particular form ,of carriage, which carriage has its principles, more its and elements of utility set out in a separate application for United States Letters A Patent, said application being'that one filed April 20, 1914-, Serial Number 833015 and entitled Cotton harvester, which application embodies a particular form of wheeled carriage adaptable to mount and carry the mechanism herein claimed.

The invention involves a mechanism mounted uponthe carriage referred to, but not necessarily receiving its motive power therefrom. In this instance it is preferable to adapt the invention and illustrate same to receive its motive power for operation from some external form of prime mover, such as a gas engine; thesame forming no part of this invention is not here shown.

An object of the inventionis toprovide a form of belted picking mechanism which will readily pass through the rows'of cotton, leaving the plants and unopened bolls undisturbed and undamaged, and one which will require an expenditure of a minimum energy to drive said mechanism.

A further object is to provide a. form of belted mechanism which embodies therein a plurality of. resilient picking fingers fixed to the belt, the whole forming an amassed and netted system offingers' which will tho'roughly, positively and delicately traverse and pass between :the stalks and plants relieving same of its fibered product A further object resides in the particular form and disposition of the picking fingers, said picking fingers having a surface and the cottonlpickin with a wheeled carriage,

direction contour wli i'gh'renders them most efiicient in accompli'sliin Features also'reside 1n articular form of bracing and reinforcin ojhthe said picking fingers. A

A still furthen objectas tglproduce a machine of the character described which will be inexpensive and simplein construction, strong and durable in operation and whose few working parts will be unlikely to get out of working order. I With these and other objects in View, the invention has relation to a certain arrangement and combination-of parts, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following appendedclaims. 4

Figure ljis an inside elevational view of g mechanism correlated? being illustrated in section. Fig. 2'is a verf? tical longitudinal view g. 1. Fig. 31s a sectional g their purpose.

specificatlon and subsequently embodied in the some parts thereof of the mechanism in sectional detail the section being taken upon taken upon the line br-l') of Fig. 2. 30

respectively designate upper and lower belt 90 rollers. Said rollers are arranged in pairs,

'and horizontally supported. The rollers are carried by shafts 3 and 4 respectively, said shafts having their extremities ournaled in bearings 5 integral with a pair of-.

vertically,;/arranged arched frame suppdrt members The upper rollers 1 will preferably have an'increased diameter over the lower ones.

In such case the shaft centers which carry the two rollers will not be vertically alined, but offset sufficiently to tangentially alinethe peripheries of the two rollers.

The frame support member 6 is forme substantially heavy, and will preferably e of cast metal having strengthening w,bs, flanges, and journal boxes cast integral therewith substantially as illustrated.

Diagonal brace members '7, as

:related parts later mentioned, brace. in a spaced relation the frame support members 6. The extremities of said braces are bolted to the vertical websiof the support members 6.

Endless belts 9 are carried by therollers l and 2. The arrangement of the said pul- 'leys as described brings the adjacent halves of the belt in vertical parallel proximity. Guide rollers 10 are provided on' the inside of the vertical half of the belt and journaled upon shafts 11, substantially as the rollers 1 and 2 are journaled in the frame member 6.

aid' rollers have' their peripheries tangent to the belts9 and are adapted to roll under the traveling stress imparted them from said belt. Said guide rollersare adapted to keep the contacting side of the belt in a substan tially vertical alinementand resist any m-.

Ward pressure or tendency which may be impressed thereon by-the plants which will later be seen to pass through the opening of the arched frame members and through the substantially narrow opening between the and manner of numeral'M and passed through thebelt on a horizontal plane as indicated by the numeral '15. The body 15 is then bent at right angles and impressed flush with the surface or the belt, as shown by numeral 16. Said portion 16 is further turned and passed through the belt in the form of a hook 17. This ives a firm, substantial and permanent hold of the finger on the belt. The finger is fixed to the belt with its free extremity outwardly directed at an angle. The extremity 18 of the bodyis turned at anglewith said body 12, the disposition of the finger is such that, when the vertical half of the belt is reached the body 12 assumes an inclined angle preferably of about forty five degrees while the extremity 'ther describing the disposition of the fingers on the belt, Fig. 5' clearly illustrates the fingers having their freeextremities forwardly directed with respect to the direction of travel, said'direction of travel being indifingers are arranged in cated by the arrow, ou the ground.

he belts 9 should carry a number otthe picker fingers described, in this instance said vertical and horiof the wheeled carriage well as corthe other.

adapted to carry an open vertical down turned walls will be seen 18 is vertically disposed. Fur-. rows within the hood and be disposed in a cotton plant to same in a straight zontal rows but to arrange them in miscellaneous and irregular manner upon the belt would in no wise and in no manner be a departure from the principle and spirit of the invention.

In the'regular arrangement substantially as illustrated finger rods 12 are inserted through the coils 1 T oftnepiclzer lingers and extend in length practically the width of the belt, and are held-in positionby any convenient means such as ter pin in the rod at eachextremity. These rods' brace and strengthen laterally the fingers and prevent them fromtwisting on the belt. Said rods should be in diameter than the inner diameter of the coils 1.4:, this allows free contraction of the coil when the finger is brought under tension. The rods will preferably be light weightwood or tubing.

The forward extremities of the shafts fixed thereupon spur gears 19, intercarry meshing and one adapted to be driven by One of the shafts is'extended and has fixedthereto a flange or coupling 20 which is adapted to receive and attach therewith, a clutch or universal coupling of the motive power will be applied in such a direction as to cause the adjacent vertical picking sides of the belt to travel upward.

Finger or belt guards 21, comprising subinserting a cotslightly less 1 (not shown), The power stantially rectangular sheet metal sides are attached to the under surface of the extremr.

ties of the .frame members and extend upto and parallel" wardly' at an angle, adgacent to the line of travel of the pickerfingers. These guard members protect and incase the belted finger element from the overhanging cotton stalks of the adjacent rows. Arms 22 fixed to the frame carry and hold in spaced relation the guards 21.

Arms 23 are fixed to the belt guards and support and carry a protective bonnet 2 1. Sack hooks 2d" are provided about the lower portion and opening of the bonnet and cotton sack on either or both sides during the operation of the machine. A sack.- with lower portion broken away, is illustratedin Fig. 2. -The 24: of the-bonnet i orm guide ways forthe cotton which to. take the course of the arsack provided.

A cotton guide hood 25 substantially forms the forward portion of the machine. The hood is flared out and rounded as indicated by the numeral 26. The walls extend rearward and attach to the forward frame member '6. This construction guides the the desired place and holds and upright manner as the said plant enters the belted piclnng -extremities of a transversely mounted shaft One of the arms 29 is integral with a hand lever 31. Coiled equilizing springs 32 are provided, said springs having their 825- tremities attached to the frame of the machine and adjacent to the arched axle. Said springs are adapted to equalize the pull and weight of the machine when adjusting the height of the machine from the ground.

The hand lever andraclr 33 is provided for controlling the horizontal balance of the machine upon the axle 28. The transverse shaft 34: carries a pair of slotted arms 35, one on either side of the machine. An arm member 36 is pivoted at 37 and has a vertical bination ofa pair of arched frame memslotted connection with the axle adjacent to the ground wheel. A pin 38 is fixed to the member 36, and passes through slots 35 of the arms 35, which adapts said member to be pivoted about its pivotal point 37 by adjustment of the hand lever. This gives a forward and rearward adjustment of the wheels and adapts the machine to be properly balanced. A draft tongue 39 is provided.

In the operation of the machine the motive power will propel, as described, the belted mechanism as the machine is passed along the cotton row. The stall: and plants are guided into the belted pickers, the fingers passing through and removing the fiber from the stalk. 'lhe'endless belt will travel sufficiently fast to centrifugally throw the cotton from the fingers when the said fingers pass over the upper pulley. The bonnet and the vertical walls of said bonnet form a suspensionfor the cotton sack and gnideway for the cotton to/be rejected from the traveling belt to the sac.

it will be understood that the picker teeth, their form and disposition upon the belt are adaptable to be used in connection with any form of rolling picker member such as a parallel slatted or belt member.

The angular direction, of the fingers upon the belt, adapts said fingers to travel through the plants in the most efiicient way possible, the slight angle forward compensating for, in the vertical travel, the broad side action the fingers would have against the cotton boll and look if such angular direction was not provided.

The invention is presented as inclu all such modifications and change properly come within the soon lowing claims.

Claims:

1. in a cctton picking machine, comissneei bers rollers 'ournaled in the frame memhaving their free extremities projected upwardly and at an angle away from the working face of the belts and also forwardly at an angle with respect to the direction of travel of the carriage along the row, provision for mounting a receptacle adjacent to the belts and aprons adapted to guide the plants toward the belts.

2. In a cotton picking machine, the combination of a pair of arched frame members, rollers journaled in the frame members,

spaced endless belts carried by the rollers and adapted to travel vertically, the direction of travel of the opposed working faces of the belts being upward and substantially parallel, flexible picker fingers carried by the belts, said picker fingers having their free extremities projected upwardly and at an angle away from the working face of the belt and also forwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the carriage along the row, means for bracing or reinforcing each picker finger, a protective bonnet surmounting the upper portion of the mechanism, provision for mounting a receptacle adjacent to the belts, and aprons adapted to guide the plants to the machine.

3. In a cotton picking machine, a pair of arched frame members, rollers jcnrnaled in the frame members, spaced endless belts carried by the rollers adapted to travel vertically, the direction of travel of the opposed working faces of'thc belts being upward and substantially parallel, picker fingers carried by the belts, a coil formed on each picker finger, reinforcing rods correlated with the coils of the rows of the picker fingers, a protective hood surmounting the elements recited and aprons adapted to guide the plants to the machine.

l. In a cotton picking machine, a pair of arched frame members, rollers jonrnaled in the frame members, spaced endless belts carried by the rollers and adapted to travel vertically, the opposed working faces of the belts having an upward direction of travel and being substantially parallel, flexible picker fingers in rows carried by the belts,

picker fingers having their free ent nities forwardly directed at an angle r ect to the travel of the carriage row and also pmjected upwardly away from the worliting face of r inforcing rods correlated with vs of picker fingers, a protective borirmonnting the upper portion of the aism, and aprons adapted to guide is to the machine,

l with the rear surface of said belt, and reinfingers. Y

. 5. In a cotton picking machine, a pair of arched frame members, rollers journaled in .the frame members, spaced endless belts fingers arranged in rows on the belts, a coil formed on each picker finger and rods carried by the coils of said picker fingers.

G. In a cotton picking machine, a pair of arched frame members, rollers journaled in the frame members, spaced endless belts adapted to travel'vertioally carried by the rollers, the direction of travel of the opposed Working faces of the belts being upward and substantially parallel, picker fingers carried by the belts, a coil formed on. each picker finger, said picker finger passing through the belt and bent back flush forcing rods carried by the coils of the 7. In a cotton pickingmachine, a pair of arched frame members, rollers jo'urnaled in the frame members, spaced endless belts adapted to travel vertically carried by the rollers, picker fingers carried by the'belts,

said picker fingers having their free ex-v a tremities disposed forwardly at an angle with respect to the direction of travel of the marriage along the row and also projected upwardly at an angle away from the Working face of the belts,- coils formed on the picker fingers and \reinfbr cing rods correlated With the coil s'o the picker fingers.

8, In a cotton piekm mechanism, a belt,

from the belt, a coil formed on each finger,

rods passing through the coils,. one extremity of each finger passing through the belt and bent flush with the rear surface of the belt, and a hook formed on the other extremity of each finger.

in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS lt'IAILOCK.

Witnesses: I

R. H. TOMZPKINS,

' CHAS. L. BoUeHNnR.

In Witness whereof, I affix my signature 

